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The Cats of Long Ago 

and Other Stories 


Compiled by 

ANNE SPOTTSWOOD YOUNG 



New York: EATON & MAINS 
Cincinnati: JENNINGS & GRAHAM 



LIBRARY of 00NQRE9S 

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Kecoivoo 

DEC 10 

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COPY 

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Copyright, 1907, by 

eaton Sc Mains. 


THE CATS OF LONG AGO 



A ll you little folks 
who love cats and 
kittens as pets, so 
. soft and pretty 
-''arid cunning, will 
be interested to 
p hear something 
new about them. 
A cat hates to be 
shut up, you know, and 
likes to come and go just as she pleases — 
hence the image of a cat placed on battle 
shields and banners indicated liberty. This 
meant in olden times that the knights or 
the princes or the kings — any who fought 
under that emblem — were their own mas- 
ters, and would not endure slavery. Then, 
too, long, long ago, hundreds of years before 
Christ came to the world, the people in 
Egypt loved cats also, but not in just the 
same way that we love them, for they wor- 
shiped them, and thought they were gods, 
and they built a temple and dedicated it to 


6 


The Cats of Long Ago 


the goddess of cats, who was called Pasht. 
Here in this temple multitudes of beauti- 
ful cats were cared for, and when any of 
them died their bodies were carefully em- 
balmed with great ceremony and pomp, 
and they were buried back of the temple. 
So carefully were they embalmed that, 
even now, hundreds of years after their 
death, explorers are finding cat mummies, 
and some of them have been sent to 
museums, where you can see them for your- 
self if you hunt for them among the Egyp- 
tian mummies. 

Cats were strangely loved and worshiped 
in those days by the Egyptians. They did 
not know then that all their gods were false, 
for that was long before Christianity brought 
peace and comfort to the world. 


SINGING OF DICKY BIRD 



WINGING in his gilded 
cage was Dicky Bird, chirp- 
I ing gaily to the wild birds 
as they sped by. 


“ Why do you hang Dicky Bird 
" out in the arbor close to the street 
when you hear the men coming on their 
way to the mills ? ’ ’ asked Dorothy. 

“ Watch the men’s faces as they pass by, ” 
suggested grandma, “ and perhaps you will 
see for yourself.” 

Soon Dorothy exclaimed, as the tramp, 
tramp, of the hurrying men reached her ears : 

“They’re coming, they’re coming — the 
men.” 

Dick never sang more sweetly. 

“The first man looked so gloomy before 
he heard Dick,” said Dorothy later; “but 


8 


The Singing of Dicky Bird 


when he heard the music he just smiled all 
over and walked ever so much more briskly. 
Then that lame man was saying something 

cross to the boy 
, that was with him, 

when he noticed 
Dick’s singing he just 

laughed his ugly words away. 

The man with the dinner pail never looked 
up till he got opposite, and when he heard 
Dick he began tb whistle. And then — 
why, grandma, Dick just made them all 
over and got them ready for work.” 


THE AWFULEST TIMES ' 

T he awfulest times that ever could be 
They had with two little lads of Dundee, 
Who never would finish their crusts. 

And what do you think soon came to pass? 

In vain they besought them, 

And patiently taught them. 

But, no, they wouldn’t. 

They couldn’t, they shouldn’t. 

These little lads of Dundee, alas! 

Who wouldn’t take crusts in the regular way. 
Sat down to a feast one summer’s day; 

And what did the people those little folks give? 
AVhy, a dish of bread-pudding, as sure as I live! 


9 


The Awfulest Times 





HER OTHER NAME 

||-4[AVE you ever read the story of little 
^ “But Then”? Her real name was 
Alice, but they called her little “ But Then, ” 
and I will tell you why. Her face was like 
a sunbeam and she was always looking for 
every bit of good she could find in every- 
body and everything. When Freddie came 
home and told in a ridiculous way the story 
of the new boy’s first day at school, and 
how odd he looked in his brother’s out- 
grown coat and trousers, little Alice began 
with her most earnest air: “Yes, but then 
I didn’t hear him say one naughty word all 
day, and he helped poor little Kelly out of 
the mud when he fell down.” 

“ That’s just the way with you, little ‘But 
10 


Her Other Name 


II 


Then,”’ laughed Freddie. But he always 
loved Aliee more than ever after such a 
speech as that; he couldn’t help it. 

When the day for the picnic, which Alice 
and Fred had planned, dawned gray and 
cold, Freddie puckered his mouth ready to 
complain, but Alice soon snatched away all 
the frowns. “I know it’s going to rain, 
Freddie, but then you know we can cut 
those paper chains and hang them all over 
the attic and eat our picnic dinner up 
there. And it’ll be nearly as nice as in 
the woods” (with an extra emphasis on 
the “nearly”). 

“All right, little ‘But Then,”’ said Fred- 



Her Other Name 


I 2 


die, cheering np. A play with little “ But 
Then,” in the attic was almost as good as 
a picnic, any day. 

When she fell and broke her arm and 
had to have it bandaged for many days, 
she said over and over to her friends as 
they sympathized with her: “Yes, it hurts. 


: 00 : 


: 00 = 


Somebody did a golden deed ; 
Somebody proved a friend in need ; 
Somebody sang a beautiful song; 
Somebody smiled the whole day long; 
Somebody thought, “ ’Tis sweet to live; 
Somebody said, “I’m glad to give;’’ 
Was that somebody you? 


: 00 : 


: 00 : 


1 

I 


but then it could be worse. I might have 
broken both arms, you know.” 

And so it was by alwa3?'s trying to see 
the good and cheerful side that Alice came 
to be called little “But Then.” Would it 
not be worth while owning such a name if 
it stood for a sunny disposition like hers 
that always smiled at discouragements and 
tried to find the good and lovely in every- 
body? 


LITTLE WITCHES 


G randma says we are little witches, 
Make her drop so many stitches. 
Laughing till she fairly shakes 
At our pranks; but she mistakes. 

For when I brought my little basket 
(Just myself, she didn’t ask it) 

To hunt her stitches on the floor 
(A dozen dropped, she said, or more), 
There wasn’t one that I could find; 

Poor grandma must be getting blind! 



13 


PLAYING GROWN UP 
HAT fun it is to drag long skirts and 



^ ^ old hats out of the attic trunks, and 
play “Grown up.” It does seem some- 
times to little folks as if mothers and aunts 
ought to be supremely happy, just because 
they can wear long, trailing skirts that 
swish delightfully when they walk. And 
when you and your little friends give a 
play-reception, how very polite you always 
are! Your gloves are entirely too big, and 
you trip over your long skirts at every step, 
and when you put on a big, flapping hat to 
complete your costume you are sure to hear 
the question, “ Hat, where are you going 
with that little girl?” But it’s all so much 
fun! Now, nearly everything you do at 
your play-reception has some sort of a his- 
tory about it. You saw your brother take 
off his glove to shake hands with you while 
you were playing, and this was very courte- 
ous indeed, but there was a very good 
reason for this custom long ago. The brave 
knights who lived in old England many 
years ago used to wear heavy iron gauntlets 


Playing Grown Up 


15 

r 




1 6 Playing Grown Up 

on their hands, and these metal gloves were 
so big and clumsy that no knight could 
shake hands with a hostess until he took off 
his glove. He offered his right hand un- 
gloved to prove his friendship, for that left 
his sword unprotected and showed that he 
did not wish to use it. For the same 
reason he removed his head-piece, too — ^his 
helmet, it was called — ^when he entered the 
castle, just as a man takes off his hat today. 
When he kept his helmet on it showed that 
he was prepared for an enemy. 

Then you have noticed in church that a 
man usually sits in the end of the pew, 
nearest the aisle. That custom was started 
in war time, when the men carried their 
rifles and guns to church to be ready for 
the Indians should they suddenly appear. 
They always sat in the end of the pew so 
they could get out of church easily, and 
protect the women and children. The next 
time you play “ growm up” you can tell the 
rest of the children the reason of all these 
customs, which are so natural to us that we 
scarcely ever think of them at all. 



L ittle Ah Lee and little Oh Me 

Played in the shade of a mulberry tree. 

Said little Ah Lee to little Oh Me: 

“A terrible dragon I’m going to be, 

And I’ll catch you and eat you up, little Oh Me!” 

‘‘Please don’t, and I’ll give you a rosebud,” said .she; 
‘‘But dragon-s don’t care about rosebuds,” said he. 

‘‘Then I’ll give you my tiny pink slippers, ” said .she. 

‘‘Why, dragons don’t ever wear shoes,” laughed Ah Lee. 
‘‘Then I’ll give you my necklace of coral,” said she. 

‘‘But dragons don’t want any coral, you see!” 


17 



i8 


How They Played Dragox 


“How silly of dragons! Then how would it be 
If I gave you a big currant cake?” asked Oh Me. 
“Why, that would be splendid!” cried little Ah Lee. 



:» 


THE LEGEND OF THE TAME 
GOOSE 

jl^ATHERINE’S old nurse comes from 
the sunny Southland, and she knows 
more stories and legends about birds and 
flowers and fairies than any other nurse 
that ever lived, at least so Katherine thinks. 
Here is one of her stories about the tame 
goose, that is probably as old as the bird 
it tells about: 

“ Long, long ago two geese that had been 
lifelong friends decided to go on a great 
journey and And themselves a new place. 
On the eve of their departure one goose said 
to the other; ‘Get all ready this evening, 
for, Deo volente (God willing), I shall start 
on the journey at sunup tomorrow morning. ’ 

“ ‘And so, my friend, will I start at sunup 
tomorrow morning, Deo volente or not,’ an- 
swered the other goose. 

“Just as the sun was peeping over the 
hilltops the next morning, the goose that 
had said he would start on the journey, 
God willing, rose joyfully, lightly in the air, 
and soared away to a distant country. 

*9 



20 The Legend of the Tame Goose 

“How about the goose that was going, 
God willing or not? Well, he did not go. 
He tried to start with his friend, but found 
it out of the question to even so much as 
spread his wings. Time after time he tried 
to fly, but his efforts were in vain. He had 
lost the power of flight. He was sitting 
with his head down, bewailing his great mis- 
fortune, when a hunter came along, picked 
him up, and carried him to a farmhouse. 
He was never, never able to fly again, and 
he just had to become a tame goose. 


21 


Punch and Judy 

“ From that day to the present time 
geese have not been able to do much fly- 
ing, but the wild geese soar about on their 
splendid pinions, just as free and happy as 
was their ancestor that said he would start 
on the journey, God willing.” 



PUNCH AND JUDY 


|j~^ONALD and 


Dorothy are 
two little Eng- 
lish children 
— two dear 
little twins. 
The birthday 
presents they 
liked best of 
all were a 
beautiful, big, 
shaggy dog 
named “Bounce,” and two dolls named 
“Punch” and “Judy.” Bounce was Don- 
ald’s, and of course the dolls belonged to 
Dorothy. These little folks had the most 


22 Punch and JudV 

beautiful gardens to play in, and in the 
gardens were a little silver lake with white 
ducks floating about, and pretty little 
canoes to play with; and flowers and trees 
were in the gardens, and many things else 
that make children happy. Bounce be- 
haved beautifully and made warm friends 
of everyone in a very short time. But 
when the children took him down to the 
lake , what do you think happened ? Bounce 
was carrying Punch and Judy on his back 
for a ride, when suddenly he caught sight 
of some ducks sailing about on the pond, 
and before Donald and Dorothy realized 
what he was going to do, away he flew right 
into the water. Such a splashing followed, 
and how those poor ducks did squawk and 
flutter in surprise and terror. Poor Punch 
and Judy fell into the water, and they 
might have been drowned if Bounce had 
not been an obedient dog. He came back 
when Donald called him and swam after the 
dolls and brought them safely to shore, and 
he said just as plainly as a dog could say 
it that he was ver}^ sorry indeed. These 


Naming the Baby 


23 


dog friends of little folks have so much in 
them almost human. 

But after this experience Donald and 
Dorothy knew that though they could 
“play horse” with Bounce, and put their 
dolls on his back, they must see to it first 
that there were no ducks or rabbits or 
squirrels in sight. 


NAMING THE BABY 

HE naming of the baby is 
an important matter in 
all countries. In India if 
there is a difference of 
opinion, and the father 
wants one name for the 
baby and the mother 
wants another name, two lighted lamps 
are placed upon slips of paper on which 
are written the names. These lamps are 
carefully watched, and the name over 
which the flame bums brighter is the one 
that is chosen. In Egypt the father and 
mother choose three names and three can- 



24 


Naming the Baby 


dies and they give each candle one of these 
names. The candles are then lighted, and 
the one that bums the longest gives its 
name to the little one. In some parts of 
Japan the father chooses the name, but this 
choice is not made until the little boy or 
girl is five years of age. Over in China 
little girls are thought so little of that often 
they are just numbered “one,” “two,” and 
“ three,” while the baby boys receive all the 
honor and all the -love of the household. 
These baby boys are given as fine a name 
as the father can think of, and when they 
grow up the father gives them another 
name, so they really have two names, and 
the little girls often have none at all. In 
Bible days, long ago, names for little folks 
were chosen with great care, and the mean- 
ing of the name very often told of the great 
faith which the father and mother had in 



The Joke THE Squirrel Played 25 

God’s love and care. All of the prophets’ 
names had some great meaning in them. 
Ezekiel meant the “Strength of God,” and 
Isaiah, the “ Salvation of the Lord.” Then 
in the New Testament we find that Mary, 
the Madonna, or Miriam, which is the He- 
brew name, means “Star of the Sea,” and 
the name of John, the beloved disciple, 
means the “Gracious Gift of God.” 

THE JOKE THE SQUIRREL 
PLAYED 

O NCE a squirrel played a 
funny joke on some lit- 
tle children. The 
children had 
worked all morn- 
ing gathering nuts 
to take home with 
them to the city. 

They had to go 
far over the fields 
and through the 
woods to find the nuts, and when lunch 



26 


The Joke the Squirrel Played 

time came they were both tired and hungry. 
Now, it happened that the squirrels were 
hunting nuts also, and were making many 
trips to and from their nests, laying up their 
winter store of food. The little folks put 
all the nuts they found out on the porch 
roof in the sunshine, thinking that was the 
safest place for them, and then went down 
to luncheon. They had no sooner disap- 
peared than one of the busy squirrels saw 
the precious horde as he was frisking about 
the tree branches, and, being a squirrel of 
some sense, he decided that it was a waste 
of time to go away over to the “ Hazel 
Glades ’ ’ for nuts when such a fine array of 
them was right at hand. A tree grew near 
the house, so up the tree he ran and onto 
the roof he jumped — making a big flying 
leap — and away he scampered with his 
mouth full of stolen property. By and by 
some one in the dining room said: “There 
must be a nest of squirrels in that tree. 
They are running up and down all the time. ’ ’ 
“Oh,” cried one of the children, after she 
had watched for a minute, “it is the same 





28 The Joke the Squirrel Played 

squirrel each time. Maybe he is stealing 
our nuts ! ’ ’ And away went the little folks 
from the table pell-mell upstairs. The mis- 
chievous little squirrel was just disappearing 
down the tree, and only three lonely nuts 
were rolling about on the roof ! All the rest 
had been carefully stowed away in the 
squirrel’s nest, and much of his fall work 
had been done in one hour. For a few 
minutes the children felt like crying, but 
that would have done no good, so they 
laughed instead, and after the first disap- 
pointment they treated it all as a good joke, 
and said the squirrel was very bright and 
cute to play such a trick on them. But the 
next time they gathered nuts you may be 
sure they hid them safe away from the 
little squirrel robber. 





O VERY many weeks ago, 

There was a dreadful day: 

The very worst I ever knew, 

For mother went away. 

And we all promised to be good. 

And mind Aunt Jane as children should. 

But baby chewed the Noah’s ark, 

AVhich made him very ill ; 

And Kenneth opened father’s ink — 

The kind that’s sure to spill; 

And Ted fell down and bumped his head 
So very hard, he went to bed. 

Then nobody at all was left 
To play, but only me. 

And so I thought’ I’d live a while 
Up in the apple tree. 

But then I tore my sailor dress 
In fourteen places, more or less. 

And all of us just cried a peck 
Of tears, or maybe more. 

Until the silk of mother’s skirts 
Came swishing in the door. 

I think she’ll never go again — 

At least she said she wouldn’t — then. 


29 




HE FOLLOWED HIM TO SCHOOL 



‘HE teacher of a district school in Maine 


tells a story that will remind you of 
Mary and her little lamb, only it is of Joe 
and his little dog. 

Joe was a boy about eight years old, and 
was devoted to a small, lank puppy. Out 
of school hours boy and dog were insepara- 
ble, and Joe apparently could not reconcile 
himself to the necessity of leaving the dog 
at home. For several mornings the teacher 
allowed the puppy to remain at Joe’s feet 
under the desk. Then there came a day 
when the small dog could not be kept 
quiet, but frisked about, to the delight of 
the school and the dismay of the teacher. 

“Joe,” she said firmly, “you must take 
that dog out.” 

Joe looked at her mournfully, but picked 
up the pup and, with his head against his 
cheek, started for the door. The boy’s 
feelings were evidently hurt, but he said 
nothing until he reached the door; then. 



He Followed Him to School 31 

giving his teacher a reproachful look, with 
a pitying glance toward his dog, he said, 
slowly : “ And he ’s naraed for you ! ’ ’ 




ABOUT UMBRELLAS 

jES ago only kings and queens 



and members of the royal 
family carried umbrellas, for 
an umbrella was a sign of 
royalty and power. Today 
they are so common that we 


scarcely give them thought except when a 
storm comes up. About one hundred years 
ago, however, a physician living in Edinburg 
created much fim for his neighbors by carry- 
ing on a rainy day an umbrella, which he had 
brought as the latest thing from Paris. Small 
boys followed after him, jeering and laughing 
and making all manner of fun of him, but the 
good doctor held on to his umbrella, never- 
theless, because he thought it was a splendid 
thing to keep the rain off when he called on 
his patients during wet and stormy weather. 
Very soon after that umbrellas became pop- 
ular among the rich people, and then grad- 
ually they became so inexpensive that even 
very poor folk could own them. 


About Umbrellas 


33 


We find umbrellas pictured in some of 
the sculpture of Egypt. In the East the 
habits of the nations change slowly, and 
thus it happens that many of the umbrellas 
there are still very costly; and the Sultan 
himself is often called “ Lord of the Um- 
brella.” The umbrella has an ancient his- 
tory. It boasts of a long pedigree — that is, 
it would boast if it could; but in America 
and England it is purely and simply a thing 
of use ; a good, honest, steady friend to every 
schoolboy and girl when the wintry weather 
brings the snow, rain and sleet. 



THE WEATHER’S TELLTALE 


IN WINTER 

O LD Thermometer said, with a shake of his head 
“Whate’er weather-prophets may state, 

It won’t thaw for days, so I’ll put on my coat. 

And I’ll go to the park for a skate: 

I don’t know a thing about skating, it’s true. 

But no doubt I shall do just as well 

As the rest of the people who venture on ice ;’ ’ 

And 

So 

The 

Ther- 

Mo- 

Me- 

Ter 

Fell 

IN SPRING 

T he Thermometer said, as he turned in his bed, 

‘ ‘ I'he sun has been up for an hour : 

In the east there are baby clouds, chubby and pink, 
And there’s dew in the heart of each flower; 

The birds are a-twitter, the cows crop the grass, 

’Twould be strange were I longer to doze, 

When I might be awake in the beautiful world!” 

Rose 
Ter 
Me- 
Mo- ' 

'i'her- 

The 

So 

And 


ONE WAY TO WIN 



RANDMA, busy with her 
basket of darning, smiled 
as she watched the three town boys from 
the window. There was a game of ball in 
progress in the back yard. 

She was not the only one who watched 
them, however. Out in the road were three 
or four poorly dressed boys who, attracted 
by the shouting and laughing in a yard 
usually so quiet, were looking through the 
fence. “Town kids,” muttered one to an- 
other, beginning to dislike the ball players 
at once, though they could not have told 
why, except that the newcomers were bet- 
ter dressed and seemed to be having a good 
time, in which those outside the fence were 


36 One Way to Win 

not sharing. Presently one of them called 
his comment aloud: 

“Dudes!” 

“ Rag-bag 1 ’ ’ promptly responded Guy. 

“Such playing!” sneered the boys outside. 

“ If you don’t like it, you needn’t watch 
it. Clear out!” shouted the boys inside. 

Back and forth over the fence the sharp 
words flew, and, of course, it was only a 
few minutes before an occasional stick or 
stone was flying also. Then, by an unlucky 
toss, the ball went over, and that ended the 
game, for the boys refused to give it up. 

“ Oh, no, we won’t throw it back, sonny! 
You don’t know how to play with it, any- 
how, so ’taint no use to you,” they an- 
swered, mockingly, to all demands for its 
return. “You didn’t have to throw it over, 
and we don’t have to throw it back.” 

Angry, and fearful of losing their ball 
altogether, the yoimg visitors hurried into 
the house with the story of their wrongs. 

“They’re spoiling all our fun, and we 
can’t drive them away, and now they’ve 
got the ball.” 


One Way to Win 


37 


“ And you can’t make them go away and 
let you alone?” asked grandma. 

“Nb’m! We talked to ’em, and— and 
threw things at ’em, and everything!” 

“Well, well! Maybe you didn’t throw 
anything that hit them in the right place,” 




38 


One Way to Win 


said grandma, severely. “ I won’t have 
them tormenting you in any such way; I’ll 
throw something that will send them off in 
a hurry ! ’ ’ 

She marched into the pantry, and the 
boys looked at each other with much sur- 
prise mingling with their satisfaction. They 
wanted the intruders driven off, but the 
idea of sweet-faced grandma throwing 
dishes ! Or had she gone for bricks ? or hot 
water? She hurried out of the door, and 
they followed her, but they could not dis- 
tinctly see what missile she sent over the 
fence. 

“ Don’t say an3rthing to them. Wait and 
see what they will do,” she said to the 
wondering boys on the step. 

But after a few minutes of silence they 
could not resist the temptation to tiptoe 
over the grass and peep through into the 
road. There sat the enemy around a tom 
paper sack, eating some of grandma’s deli- 
cious doughnuts. 

“ Humph!” said Charlie. 

“ Here’s your ball,” said a rather subdued 


One Way to Win 


39 


voice outside, and the treasure dropped at 
Charlie’s feet. “We didn’t mean to keep 
it, anyway. We was only foolin’. We’re 
goin’ fishin’.” 

“They’ve gone, haven’t they?” inquired 
grandma, as the three boys came back to 
the house. “ You can nearly always make 
people peaceable by throwing at them, if 
only you throw the right things.” 

The boys laughed, though they looked a 
little ashamed; for often afterward, when 
there was danger of getting into a quarrel, 
one or the other would say, warningly, 
“ Better throw a doughnut.” 



facK, Jill oTvilhcricrmaid. 

J ACK and Jill they were called for fun, 
because like the two children in the ■ 
nursery rhyme they were always climbing 
over the hills, and carrying pails of water, 
and falling down — that is, they were doing 
these things in the summertime at the sea- 
shore. Now, Jack and Jill were forever 
talking about mermaids, and wondering 
what they looked like. There was no use 
to tell them that such beautiful creatures 
did not really live in the sea, because they 
were sure they would 
come across a mer- 
maid some day if they 
only looked long 
enough. But at the 
end of the summer the 
mermaid was still un- 
foimd, and to comfort 
Jack and Jill, who were 
really sadly disappointed 
in' spite of the host of 



Jack, Jill and the Mermaid 


41 


beautiful shells and pebbles they had 
gathered together, someone who loved these 
little children wrote this rhyme about them, 
and they .thought that was the next best 
thing to seeing the mermaid for themselves : 

Jack and Jill, looking for shells 
on the shore, 

Wandered and wandered, and still 
wandered more. 

Turned round a comer — and 
what should be there 
But a real, alive Mermaid comb- 
ing her hair. 

She was too scared to get away. 

They were so pleased, they had 
to stay; 

So they all stopped and stared — 
just so — 

As I have drawn them here, to 
show. 

Jack was brimming with questions bold. 

Things he had wanted so much to be told; 

As for Jill, she could only stare 
At little Miss Mermaid’s tail and hair. 

But before anything could be said. 

Little Miss Mermaid turned her head. 

Two quick wriggles, a splash of foam. 

Little Miss Mermaid had gone back home. 

So Jack was left with the wondering Jill, 

And his questions all unanswered still. 




42 


STORY OF THE DANDELION 



by the roadside, a soldier all alone. He had 
traveled a long way from a dark, under- 
ground country, bent on seeing the world. 


The first thing that he saw was a broad 
field full of waving banners, and he thought, 
“What a beautiful place I have discovered!” 
and pitched his tent among the green 
grasses. 

The raindrop elves saw how tired and 
dirty he was from his long journey north- 
ward, and refreshed him with a shower bath. 
Through the clouds came the sunbeam fair- 
ies, bringing him a handsome unifonn of 
green and gold and a quiver of golden 
arrows. Then he was -very happy, and 


43 


44 Story of the Dandelion 

cheered many a weary traveler with his 
sunny face. 

By and by spring went away, the birds 
finished building their nests, and the butter- 
flies and grasshoppers came to herald sum- 
mer. The soldier began to feel tired, and 
knew that he was growing old. His gay 
uniform had faded, and the golden arrows 
had turned to silver, and the wind brownies 
shot them far away. 

The soldier crept down among the green 
grasses, and his little camp was left empty. 
Everywhere that his silver arrows fell there 
blossomed bright golden flowers — “dande- 
lions, ’ ’ children called them. 


I 


BEST TIME OF ALL' 

S ING a song of snowtime, 

Now it’s passing by, 

Million little fleecy flakes 
Falling from the sky; 
t When the ground is covered, 

I- And the hedge and trees, 

There will be a gay time 
I For the chickadees. 

2 Boys are in the schoolhouse, 

f Drawing on their slates 

I Pictures of the coasting-place 

If And thinking of their skates; 

r Girls are nodding knowingly, 

Smilingly about, 

; Thinking of a gay time 

When the school is out. 

* Three o’clock, four o’clock. 

Bang! goes the bell; 

Get your hats and cloaks and wraps 
Hurry off, pell-mell! 

Bring along the coasters, all, 

' If you want some fun; 

Up to the hilltop. 

Jump and slide and run! 

1 Steady now! Ready now! 

Each one in his place! 

Here we go, there we go, 

Down on a race! 

I Sing a song of snowtime, 

k. When the flakes fall; 

Coast-time, skate-time, 

, Best time of all! 



45 


CAROLYN’S PRESENT 

/^AROLYN had been in a state of ex- 
citement for days, for at last her. 
mother had consented to let her attend 
school. 

When the morning came, the little maid 
trotted off with her eyes shining in happy 


antieinatinn of the 
11 as 
her 
ife— 



When she came home at noon, her mother 
said: “Well, dearest, how do you like going 
to school?” 

“I like it pretty well, mother,” was the 


Paying Back 


47 


reply in doubtful tones; “but I haven’t my 
present yet.” 

“Your present? What do you mean, 
Carolyn?” 

“Why, this morning teacher said, ‘You 
may sit here for the present, little girl,’ but 
I sat there all the morning, and didn’t get 
it. P’r’aps, though,” and she brightened 
up, “ I’ll get it this afternoon.” 


PAYING BACK 

G race and Allan were trying hard to 
think of some way to “ pay back that 
mean Ben Harris,” as Grace declared. She 
was sitting by her brother on the bench in 
the garden, slowly swinging one foot. 
“We’ll pay him well, and see if he won’t be 
sorry for breaking our cart.” 

“But perhaps he didn’t mean to,” said 
Allan. 

“Yes, he did; I know him. And I know 
what we’ll do. We will let out his new 
pigeons, and then he will be sorry for a 
while.” 


48 


Paying Pack 




Away the children 
ran across the garden 
to where Ben’s pigeon 
house was built on the 
other side of the fence. 

“ Now, Allan, you hold this 
board steady while I climb up 
and open the door,” com- 
manded Grace. 

Allan did as he was told, 
and Grace managed to reach 
up and open the door. 

“There the old things go! I hope he 
doesn’t catch them again!” Grace cried. 

“Hello, Allan!” called a voice, whose 
sound almost made Grace fall off the fence. 
“ Here’s a new tongue I made for your cart. 
I didn’t mean to break the other one.” 

Grace and Allan could say nothing, for 
there stood Ben, the wagon tongue in his 



Paying Rack 


4Q 


hand, staring at the open door of the pigeon 
house. 

“ Who opened that door, I wonder? Oh, 
close it quick, Gracie, or the pigeons will 
get out.” 

“ They are out,” said Grace, beginning to 
sob. “I let them out, and they flew away. 
I thought you broke the cart on purpose, 
and — and — ” Grace burst into tears, and 
Allan looked ready to follow. 

“Never mind; perhaps they ’ll come 
back,” said Ben, choking back the 
tears that he felt he was too big to 
show. “ They sometimes do. ” 

Strange to say, the pigeons 
did come back. The cart tongue 
fitted beautifully, and 
it acted as a reminder 
.to both Grace and Al- 
lan when they were 
tempted to 
“pay out 
anyone whom 
they thought 
had injured 
them- 




O THIS way, that way, up and down. 

The boys and the girls of Popham town 
Their hoops were always rolling. 

From Monday morning till Saturday night. 

If the clouds were dark, or the skies were bright. 
Still over the pavements smooth and white. 

Those hoops went merrily bowling. 

They rolled and they rolled right out of the town, 
And up to the hilltop, and over the down 
Where the timid sheep were strolling; 

And when they came to the end of the world 
Right over the edge they merrily whirled. 

And out where the little white cloudlets curled 
They still kept on a-rolling. 

It might be cold and it might be hot, 

July or December, it mattered not 
To the boys and the girls of Popham. 

Till at last the hoops were bewitched, they say. 
By mischievous mites of elves, one day! 

And lo, and behold, they ran away. 

And the children couldn’t stop ’em. 

50 


The Hoops of Popham 


51 


Long stood the children, and gazed and gazed, 
Then home they went with their sticks, amazed. 


When the evening bells were tolling; 

But still they wonder and stare each night. 
To see if perchance when the stars are bright 
The hoops of Popham, their lost delight. 

May still in the sky be rolling! 



) 


A GREAT PATIENT 


/^ALCUTTA is a fine, large city on the 
northeast coast of India, and one who 
lived there tells a strange but true story of 
how a doctor cured the biggest patient he 
ever had. This patient was a huge ele- 
phant, who, for a long time, had suffered 
from a disease in his eyes, which at last got 
so bad that he could not see. 

His owner, an English officer, went to 
Doctor Webb, and begged him 
to come and see what could be 
done. He did, and after look- 
ing carefully at the giant crea- 
ture, the doctor said: “The 
best cure I know of is nitrate of silver, 
but it will give a good deal of pain.” 

Perhaps some of my readers whose friends 
have bad eyes, have heard the name of this 
remedy. Well, the owner said he had bet- 
ter try, and if the animal would not allow 
it, he must give it up. 

But — would you believe it? — the ele- 
phant, who, like niost of his race, was aa 

52 



A Great Patient 


53 


wise as he was big, found so much relief 
from his first day’s doctoring that when 
Doctor Webb visited him the next day, he 
lay down of his own accord, placed his 
great heavy head on one side, curled up his 
great heavy trunk, and then, just as you or 
I might if we were going to bear some 
dreadful pain, he drew in his breath and lay 
perfectly still. The healing medicine was 
dropped into each eye, and when the sharp, 
short pain was gone he gave a great sigh, 
as much as to 
say: “That’s 
good thing 
got over, I 
feel all the \ 
better for 

it!” When \\f 

he got up he \ ^ 
tried, in his 
poor, dpmb 
fashion, to thank 
his friend for 
giving him back 
sight. 



WHEN DOROTHY ANN TALKED 

^^]n)OROTHY ANN, are you sleepy?” 
asked Dollikins. 

Dorothy Ann drd not answer, but went 
on smiling with her red wax lips. 


Dollikins gave her a little shake. “ Dear 
me,” she said, “I do wish you could talk! 



54 


When Dorothy Ann Talked 


55 


how much I say to her. It is very stupid 
of you, Dorothy Ann, There, go to sleep.” 

Dollikins turned her back on Dorothy 
Ann and went to sleep herself. Then she 
began to dream. She thought Dorothy 
Ann sat up in her crib, and opened her blue 
eyes wide,. 

“ Mamma ! ’ ’ she said. 

“Oh, you can talk,” cried Dollikins, joy- 
fully. 

“Mamma, my pillow is not at all soft,” 
said Dorothy Ann in a complaining voice, 
“ and you forgot to take off my shoes.” 

“ I am sorry,” said Dollikins. 

“ And I didn’t have anything but mashed 
potatoes for my dinner!” cried Dorothy 
Ann. “ I don’t like mashed potatoes. Why 
don’t I have things that I like, mamma?” 

Dollikins’ cheeks grew quite red. She 
remembered saying something very like 
this at luncheon the day before. 

“I’m not a bit sleepy!” wailed Dorothy 
Ann. “Why do I have to go to bed at 
seven o’clock, mamma? Other little girls 
(^on’t. I wish — ” 


56 When Dorothy Ann Talked 

“ Dorothy Ann, ” said Dollikins, “ will you 
please not talk any more? It makes my 
head ache.” Then it was very still. 

In the morning Dollikins went over and 
took up Dorothy Ann and looked at her. 
The red lips were smiling as ever, but tight 
shut. 

“Good morning, Dorothy Ann,” said 
Dollikins; “ I am very glad that you do not 
know how to talk, my dear, for then you 
might be a sore trial to your mother.” 




VIOLET’S TROUBLE 


^^lOLET was getting ready for school 
^ with tears in her eyes and distress in 
her heart. The family all looked troubled, 
too. And the cause of it was Violet’s tooth 
— a tiny tooth so loose that it was held in 
place only by a wee thread, but she could 
not get up the courage to have it taken out. 

Papa and mamma had tried to buy the 
privilege of taking it out; they had offered 
a new doll carriage and countless other 
things dear to Violet’s heart, but she could 
not even bear to open her mouth. 

So she started off for school, a forlorn 
little figure with her burden of sorrow, so 
small to grown-up folks, but so real and 
heavy to little ones. 

“Miss Carey will be sorry for me,” 


57 


58 


Violet’s Trouble 


thought poor Violet. “I’ll tell her first as 
soon as I get to school.” 

Now, Miss Carey was the nicest kind of 
a teacher. Sometimes she would find a 
way out of troubles when even mothers 
had given up. 

It was a very sad, tear-stained little face 
that Violet lifted to Miss Carey. “ Oh, 
teacher. I’ve got a loose tooth,” she said. 

“Let me see it, dear,” said she, taking 
Violet on her lap. “Why, Violet, it’s the 
cutest little tooth! And you haven’t even 
seen it! Wait just a minute, and I’ll get it 
for you.” And in an instant Miss Carey 
was holding it up in her fingers. 

“ Isn’t it cunning?” went on the teacher, 
opening her desk. “I’ll wrap it up in this 
silver paper, and after it teaches us a lesson 
this morning you shall take it home in 
this little round box.” 

How interesting it seemed! Violet felt 
quite grand that her tooth was so import- 
ant. 

After school began Miss Carey held up 
the tiny tooth and told a funny story of 


Violet’s Trouble 


59 


the white workers who live in a red prison, 
and how they want to get out and make 
room for bigger ones. 

At noon Violet hurried home with her 
little box, eager to tell how her tooth had 
“helped teach school.” 

“ Why were you brave enough to let Miss 
Carey pull it out, when you didn’t want 
me to touch it ? ” said mamma. 

Violet looked puzzled. 

“Why, she 
out, didn’t 
said, slowly, 
thought of 
Carey said it 
cunning that I 
to see it, and s' 
got it, and she 
it to the class, 

I never thought 
was really out 
now. And it 
not hurt me 
bit either, 
how glad I am! 




“I HAVEN’T TIME” 


^^TT^EAR me,” said Sue, 
“isn’t it mean that 
there’s not time for things?” 

“ For what ? ’ ’ asked a white- 
haired lady, tilting her head 
on one side like a bird to see if a bit of 
pink muslin looked well beside a brown 
gingham triangle. 

“I mean extras,” said Sue, settling her- 
self on the rug in front of the crackling 
fire. “Of course, I have to get my lessons 
and practice and do my part of the house- 
work; but these are things I want to do, 
and plan to do, and don’t do.” 

The grandmother had decided that the 
brown gingham needed something brighter 
than pink, so she was busily hunting for a 
bit of scarlet. “Odds and ends, odds and 
ends,” she murmured. 

Sue thought her grandmother might pay 
attention, and she went on in a louder tone. 
“ Now, I decided Sunday to run in and see 
old Mrs. Williams, and write to Pauline to 



“I Haven’t Time” 6i 

keep her from being homesick at boarding 
school, and lend Nell some of my birthday 
books; and here it is Saturday, and I’ve 
not done any of them, only regular things.” 

“What time was it when you began to 
talk to me?” asked Grandmother. 

“A quarter to twelve, I think.” 

“ And now it is — ” 

“Three minutes of twelve.” 

“ Could you write one page of a letter to 
Pauline in ten minutes ? ’ ’ 

“Oh, two; I write awfully fast, and — ” 
“Odds and ends of cloth make a quilt,” 
said the grandmother, softly, “and odds 
and ends of time can be patched up very 
nicely, too.” 


“Oh,” laughed Sue, running to the desk; 



WHEN EVERYTHING GOES 
WRONG 


|NE day everything seemed to go wrong 
with Helen. To begin with, when she 
got up in the morning she put the left 
shoe on the right foot, then she tangled 
the shoe laces and broke one in her hurry. 
She was late for breakfast, so her 
oatmeal was cold. And just as 
she was ready to go to Nannie 
Gray’s to play for an hour it 
began to rain, and she had to 
take off her hat and jacket and 
stay at home. 

“There never was such a 
day!” she cried. “ Everything 
■is wrong.” 

“I’ll tell you how to make 
everything right,” said her 
grandfather. 

“How, grandfather?” asked Helen, who 
felt quite sure that he could do almost 
anything. 

“ Just be a sunshine girl,” he answered. 



When Everything Goes Wrong 63 

“A' sunshine girl — Oh, grandfather, how 
can I? It’s raining.” 

“The rain needn’t make any difference 
with you,” he replied. 

“Well — I’ll try — to be a 
sunshine girl.” Helen spoke 
doubtfully. “ How do I 
begin ? ’ ’ 

“ First you learn the rule 
for- sunshine. Get your 
slate and write it down.” 

Helen took her slate and 
pencil, and he told her to 
write : 

“ When things go wrong, 
smile and find a better 
way»” 

Helen was smiling al- 
ready; that came easy 
enough, for no one was 
ever very gloomy where 
her grandfather was. 

“ I can’t go to play with 
Nannie, ’cause it’s raining, 
but I can do something bet- 



64 When Everything Goes Wrong 

ter right now,” cried Helen, when she had 
finished writing. “ I can begin a birthday 
present for grandmother, and you can take 
it home to her next week when you go.” 

“Of course I can; that’s just the thing.” 

“And do you s’pose she’d like a pillow 
cover embroidered with pretty letters and 
pine needles ? ’ ’ asked Helen. 

“ I s’pose she’d be delighted,” replied her 
grandfather. 

After that, when things did not go right, 
Helen would smile and look for a better 
way, and she almost always found it, too. 

In time her mother and father and even 
big brother Harry called her “ the sunshine 






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